As the best time of the year rolls around, golfers’ questions ponder who will win the green jacket this year. The most recent Masters champion, Rory McIlroy, will be attempting to go back-to-back this year, which has only been done by three golfers (Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods). As well as some more notable names, Scottie Scheffler, the world number one, Ludvig Åberg, Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele, and Cameron Young.
Many factors go into understanding how to pick the winner of the Masters, with things like experience and age helping crucially. To continue, each of the last 46 winners has played in at least one Masters prior, making experience necessary to winning.
From the stat side, tee-to-green, greens in regulation, par-5 scoring, and the ability to scramble in difficult play all help in choosing and predicting the winner. Some noteworthy stats of these are Xander Schauffele’s scrambling percentage, with him being ranked sixth on the PGA Tour. With that, recent wins help with deciding who wins the Masters, and with Cameron Young winning recently at The Players, it makes him a notable name to watch this week.
“I just, I feel more relaxed,” McIlroy says. “I know I’m going to be coming back here for a lot of years.” (PGA Tour)
Right now, recent winner Rory McIlroy has started to feel a big weight lifted as he finally completed the Career Grand Slam last year. Similar to Rory, Scottie Scheffler, a two-time Masters winner, feels that the Masters is one of his favorite places to be.
With that, Augusta National Golf Club has made notable changes to the course throughout recent years due to weather, with trees falling and some small aesthetic changes. Notably, this year for the 90th Masters, the 17th hole has been changed by reducing the yardage by 12 yards and relocating the tee marker.
Since the Masters is the first major of the year for the men, it truly sets the tone for the rest of the majors. As well, it is the only major that does not rotate courses, and it always stays at Augusta National Golf Club due to the history and the pristine care the course is always in.
This year, the course sets up to be dry and hard as the week continues, which will allow for quick greens during the final round on Sunday.
This year, the new green jacket winner is left to be decided, as it can either bring a whole new life to a new champion or bring ultimate lasting history for repeat winners.
